Regarding Lady in the Water

Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is a very nice, quiet man with a stammer. He's the supervisor for an apartment house in Philadelphia, and all the residents really like him. About the only thing that annoys him is a mysterious person swimming in the pool at night, which has happened a lot lately. But then he discovers who the mysterious swimmer is - a beautiful, ethereal young woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard). Story is a water nymph - a Narf - from Blue World. All she wants is to complete her mission and leave. But an evil creature the size of a large wolf has pursued her and is bent on killing her no matter what it takes.

Pros: First of all, the whole point of this movie is that everybody has a purpose in life. They may not know what it is they're supposed to do until the moment they need to do it, but there is no such thing as a worthless life. I also love the way God is brought into this movie. Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard both had simply awesome acting performances. And the characters in this movie are great. The various people in the apartment house have very distinct personalities, from the guy who only works out one side of his body to the older lady who tells everybody everything there is to know about her husband.

Cons: Unfortunately, this movie is not as subtle as the other M. Night Shyamalan movies I've seen. There's no need to look for a "deeper meaning" - things are stated clearly and concisely. Though, considering I would never have picked up on a couple things without having them specifically mentioned, I don't have too much of a problem with that. My other problem is that sometimes "the universe" is referred to as being responsible for some things - namely, for directly helping the protagonists. However, things are explained at a later part of the movie as being from God (though that isn't necessarily presented as being the definitive answer; it's just the opinion of a couple characters).

Note: Written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

My Rating: T (frightening images/situations, Story doesn't have much clothing on most of the time)

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Concerning The Sixth Sense

Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) is a great child psychologist. Heck, he even got an award from the mayor of Philadelphia for his efforts and successes in helping troubled children and their families. Then one of his former patients, a young man he couldn't help, shows up. This traumatic meeting scars Malcolm so deeply he feels he must atone for his failure in some way. So when he comes across a patient who reminds him of his failure, he throws himself into his work, neglecting his loving wife in the process. But he has no idea what is really troubling little Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osmont).

Pros: This movie is absolutely awesome. The writing is fabulous, and the acting amazing. (Yes, Bruce Willis was amazingly good in this movie - at least for him!) Haley Joel Osmont was particularly great. I love the religious angle, which is seen in the movie, but not really a big part of it. As I can't really say anything else without spoiling everything, I'll just say that it's one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Cons: I really had to think about and discuss some aspects of the movie in order to understand how all the pieces fit together. But the pieces pretty much fit like a jigsaw puzzle!

My Rating: MT (intensity, sexual content involving a married couple)

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Concerning Unbreakable

David Dunn (Bruce Willis) is the only survivor of a horrific train wreck that killed over a hundred people. The only other person to be pulled from the wreckage dies of a crushed skull and other injuries within minutes, but Dunn is completely unhurt. Upon leaving a memorial service for the victims of the train wreck, he finds a mysterious card from a comic book store called "Limited Edition" under the windshield wiper of his vehicle. Naturally curious, he seeks out the store and find that its owner, Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), thinks that Dunn may be a modern superhero - a man who is literally "unbreakable."

Pros: There are a lot of things I like about this movie, but I can't mention half of them because I would give something away. That being said, although Bruce Willis isn't a terrific actor, the rest of the cast in the movie is very good. I also like Dunn's wife, Audrey (Robin Wright Penn) very much.

Cons: It's a bit slow, and doesn't have the same emotional pull that some of director/writer/producer M. Night Shyamalan's other movies have.

My Rating: T (language, intensity, sexual reference)

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Concerning Signs

Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) used to be a priest. Six months ago, his wife died and he lost faith in God. Now strange things are happening on his farm in Pennsylvania. His kids, Morgan (Rory Culkin) and Bo (Abigail Breslin), wake up early one morning to find huge geometric patterns stamped on the cornfield. Graham and his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) dismiss the patterns as vandalism. But as things become stranger and stranger, the Hess brothers are forced to confront a spooky possibility: What if there are aliens on Earth?

Pros: A pro-faith movie that doesn't beat its viewer over the head with its message! Yes! Plus, there are some mighty powerful lines. Bo is absolutely, positively adorable - one of the cutest, sweetest little girls I've ever seen in or out of a movie. Merrill is sweet and hilarious. And rather cute. The technology wasn't quite there for animation, but M. Night Shyamalan (the writer/director/producer) didn't try to do more than the technology would allow. There are several parts that make my top-favorite scenes list.

Cons: I didn't get some parts the first time I watched it. But everything one needs to enjoy the movie is very clear - the confusing parts are of secondary importance. I still don't get a few things, but I think M. Night Shyamalan wanted it that way. He focused on the things that were important to the movie, and left unimportant things unexplained.

My Rating: T (spookiness, language)

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